Liam hodgson



(No Model.)

A. A. FROEHLICH.

THILL COUPLING.

Patented July 1-2; 1892.

fizz/avatar Mam W m WW UNITED STATES AMADEUS A. FROEIILIOH, OF BROOKLYN,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WIL- LIAM HODGSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,957, dated July 12,1892. Application filed January 26, 1892. Serial No. 419,358. (No modeL)To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMADEUS A. FROEHLICH, a citizen oftheUnitedStates,residin g atBrooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inThill-Ooupling Springs,of which the following is aspecification,reference being had to the drawings accompanying the same.

The present invention relates to a new form of spring for preventingrattling of vehiclethills in the couplings that attach them to the axle.

As is well understood, the heads of the thillirons of a vehicle oftenbecome quickly worn or for this or for other reasons may not fit betweenthe lugs of the axle-clips, so as to afford the desired freedom of thethill-iron heads turning on their pins or bolts without such loosenessas results by wear or otherwise in undesirable rattling of the parts.

I am aware that various metallic spring devices have been proposed thatare to be inserted in the coupling, usually between the thill-head andthe axle or axle-clip; and it is to this kind of springs that myinvention particularly relates, my object being to produce a cheap andeasily-made spring, as well as one that shall be readily applied and notbe bungling or unsightly.

To this end my invention consists of a thillcoupling or anti-rattlespring composed of a strip or leaf of sheet metal cut into strips whichare integral with one another at their ends or extend between the end orside edges of the leaf, but not to or out at such edges, these stripsbeing bent fiatwise away from each other and being formed so that one ormore of them is adapted to engage the thilliron when the spring isinserted between such a head and the axle or clip.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a section across a vehicle-axleand its clip, the plane of section also cutting away one of the lugs ofthe axle-clip and coinciding with one end face of the thill-iron head.Fig. 2 shows a blank of sheet metal cut away and trimmed, but not bent,from which any form of spring is produced. Fig. 3 shows one form of thecompleted spring. Fig. 4 shows another form of the finished spring.

In the views, A represents the axle. B is the wooden top bar on thesame, and O is the axle-clip that binds theaxle and bar together, D being the tie-plate that connects the lower bolt Bugs of the clip, all as inthe usual manner.

represents one of the lu s on t] which the thill-iron is pivoted. 1e chpto F is one of the thill-irons, and G is its head.

H 1s the pin or bolt that passes through the lugs E and the head G, andthus pivotally attaches the thill to the axle.

I is a plate or leaf of sheet-steel or other suitably-elastic metal,which may be struck up or otherwise produced. In the process of shaplngthis plate or subsequent thereto two or more slits J are struck in theplate to form the strlps K L M, these slits extending nearlv across theplate, but not out at its end or side edges, and the strips beingconnected together or integral with one another at their ends as shownin Fig. 2. After this plate has been thus cut out or struck up itsstrips are bent out of the plane of their ends and into any one ofvarious suitable forms adapting it to serve as an anti-rattle spring forthill-coup lings. Thus in Fig. 3 the strips are each bent into an S-likeform, the inner strip L bendin oppositely to the outer strips K and Mand crosslng them at their middle points, thus produclng a sprlng whichin outline is of a fi ure-8 form, as seen in Fig. 1, the letter N be-1ng designed to represent the completed sprin ready for use. Fig. 1 alsoshows how the sprin 1s applied to a thill-coupling, it being insertedeither end down, and at the same time bein compressed between the headof the thill-iro; and the axle until its thinnest or central portion 1sdirectly behind the head G, which it engages by reason of its enlargedor expanded ends and the elasticity of the metal of which 1t iscomposed. On the opposite side or face the spring bears against the axleor axle-clip.

In Fig. 4 I show the middle strip L as bent up from the other strips Kand M and havin a central backward curve, which is to be of 2 formsuitable to engage a thill-iron when the spring 1s sprung into placebehind the same.

Preferably when I shape the spring I also bend the unslit-ted ends 0 ofthe plate I back upon the strips cut therein, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4:,as this gives rounded edges to the ends of the sprlng and also makes thespring as short and compact as practicable; also, in some cases thestrips cut in the plate may be of varying width or may be split, as bycuts P, shown in Fig. l, this obviously being in effect the same asbending two adjacent strips together rather than one away from theother. Aspring of this or a like form can be readily produced and atsmall cost. It is peculiarly strong and durable, and at the same timecan be made to have all the elasticity requisite. It can be readilyapplied, as special tools for that purpose are not required.

Other forms of springs than those shown are possible, and I do not,therefore, confine myself to any particular form, as my inventioncomprises any form of the strips of the spring that will give themspring action relatively and that will adapt any one or more of them toengage a part of a chill-coupling when in operable position in thecoupling.

hat is claimed as new is 1. A thill-couplin g spring consisting ofstrips of leaf or plate metal arranged edge to edge and joined togetherat their ends, the strips being bent flatwise apart and one of thembeing shaped to adapt it to engage one of the parts of a thill-oouplingwhen inserted in the same, substantially as described.

2. A thill-coupling spring consisting of a metal plate or leaf cut intostrips which are integral with one another at their adjacent ends andbent apart, one or more of the strips beingshaped to engage a part of athill-eoupling when inserted in the same, substantially as described.

3. A thill-coupling spring composed of a plate of metal I, cut intostrips K L M, which strips are integral with the plate at their ends andone of which is bent away from the others and formed to engage athill-iron head, substantially as described.

AMADEUS A. FRO El ILIC] I.

Witnesses:

JANDINE LYNc, ERNEST lIoInuNsoN.

